The present invention relates to methods for fluid treatment that use ion exchange processes to treat the fluids. In particular, the present invention relates to methods and systems that may provide alternate and independent exchange processes within the same system. Fluid filtering and fluid softening processes are becoming more and more common processes and are used in all different situations and environments, from industrial and municipal installations, to individual water filtration systems for homes and houses.
Many of these fluid treatment processes are ion exchange processes that regenerate ion exchange media and media beds used during the fluid treatment. Regeneration fluids are passed through the bed of depleted ion exchange media during which ions are exchanged between the regeneration media and the depleted media. As used herein, the terms “ion exchange media” and/or “media” are defined broadly to include, as examples, resins, and zeolites, natural and synthetic types of both, carbon and activated carbon, activated alumina, and any other amorphous or microcrystalline structures commonly used in exchange processes. Regenerates for the ion exchange media also cover a broad spectrum of compounds, including potassium permanganate, potassium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, sodium chloride, or any other chemical or compound used to recharge, reactivate, oxidize, or rejuvenated a material bed. A common ion exchange media includes high capacity ion exchange resin.
Current processes and systems for residential use allow for basic programming of a regeneration cycle to be undertaken during an ion exchange process. Generally, an ion regeneration cycle will include one or more steps of filling/dissolving of a water treatment device, backwashing the ion exchange media, regenerating the media, rinsing the media, and servicing the media. Current systems and devices allow for individual cycles to be programmed into the system or device. However, there are no known devices in the prior art that allow for alternate regeneration cycles to be programmed and operated within a water treatment system, and especially within a residential treatment system. For example, after a certain number of softening cycles, it may be desirous to have a filtration cycle within the system, without having to shut down or manually reconfigure the system. That is, it would be beneficial to provide an overall treatment system that could have individually programmed treatment cycles, wherein the individual treatment cycles may be programmed at the same time. Further, different activation parameters may be incorporated into the same system, thereby providing warning features for the system if the chemical makeup of the fluid within the system is outside of certain predetermined boundaries. Such a system, especially for a residential application, would be an advantage over the prior art.